Category Archives: Game

German Pickle Ornament Game

Nationality: Caucasian American
Age: 21
Occupation: Student, USC
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Performance Date: 1995
Primary Language: English
Language: Spanish

Timothy remembers a folk holiday tradition taught to him when he was growing up in Orange County, California. Although Timothy says he believes the tradition has been going on for awhile in his family, before he was even born, but his first memory of this tradition was when he was about 5 years old. He recalls, “My mom has a superstition – or, my family does. I guess it’s a German tradition, that ‘Santa’ hides an ornament shaped like a pickle in the tree. Every morning after Christmas when [Santa] hides it, whoever finds it gets an extra present. I learned it from my Mom’s side of the family. I have no idea why it’s a pickle. You can look it up online.”

Well, in fact, I did. It turns out the glass pickle ornament is traditionally hidden deep in the tree so the most observant child will find it, giving him good luck for the rest of the year. A trend I’ve noticed is that many people of my generation tend to participate in folklore without understanding why they are doing so. For Timothy, the point of the whole game was to get an extra present, not good luck. And while he didn’t even know why it was a pickle that was hidden, he did know it was German – and therefore part of his culture.

When I asked him what he thinks of the tradition, he said, “When I was a kid I loved it but now I get beat out every morning by my nieces and nephews. And [the gift is] usually something pretty small like candy and I don’t really eat candy anymore.” I think that the fact that Timothy never really understood the roots of the tradition helped him to distance himself from it now that he’s older. Also, perhaps learning that Santa wasn’t real as he grew older helped him to distance himself from Christmas games for the young.

Annotated: This tradition is also seen documented in About.com

“german myth 11 – the german christmas pickle.” about.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr 2011. <http://german.about.com/library/blgermyth11.htm>.

Folk Game/Prank (Australia)- “Ghosting”

Nationality: Chinese/Australian
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
Residence: Melbourne, Australia
Performance Date: April 25, 2011
Primary Language: English

The goal of “ghosting,” according to the informant, is to follow a person walking on the street for as long as possible without them noticing. “Someone will be walking on the street and someone else will go behind the person and follow them step-by-step.” You can ghost by yourself, take turns with other people, or follow two or more different people at the same time with another friend or friends, and you can mount somebody on your shoulders while you ghost. However it is done, “ghosting” is “about getting into someone’s personal space without them realizing.”

The informant stated that she first learned this folk game/prank from an Australian TV show about two years ago when she was 18 and has known friends who play it. The game is always played outside on the streets, most likely “when you are bored.” “Ghosting,” according to the informant, “is pretty fun but stupid.”

Though the informant stressed “ghosting” as a game instead of a prank, stating that “Australians are pretty cool about it” if they find-out that somebody is ghosting them, I believe that this game can be understood as a prank as well for several reasons. First, the game has a definite group of insiders, or those who are doing the ghosting, as well as a definite group of outsiders—those who are being ghosted, or followed closely while walking. Moreover, the group of insiders, or the participants in the game, are clearly “in the know,” while those who are being followed, the outsiders, are unaware that anything unusual is taking place, and this gap of knowledge is only overcome when a transition into awareness of the game occurs as they find out they are being followed. Finally, it also seems that ghosting might serve as a form, albeit a very mild one, of initiation whereby certain members of the group are selected or perhaps “dared” to engage in the prank or game; in this respect, there could even be “insiders” and “outsiders” within this group itself determined by who has had the courage to participate in the game and possibly incur the wrath of some random pedestrian who they are ghosting if the latter should find out what the ghoster is doing.

Clapping Game – Scotland

Nationality: Scottish
Age: 18
Residence: Glasgow
Performance Date: 11 April 2011
Primary Language: English

This is a game Christabel learned when she was a child in Scotland.

Basically, you’d sit opposite someone and clap your hands against the other persons’ in a set pattern, and chant the rhyme in time to the claps. There were a lot of verses, but the ones I remember go like this;

My boyfriend gave me an apple
My boyfriend gave me a pear
My boyfriend gave me a kiss on the lips
And threw me down the stair

He threw me over Paris
He threw me over France
He threw me over London-town
Then took me to the dance

I gave him back his apple
I gave him back his pear
I gave my boy a kiss on the lips
Then kicked him down the stair

I kicked him over Paris
I kicked him over France
I kicked him over London-town
Then went off to the dance

However, sometimes the verses changed to:

He threw me over Paris
He threw me over France
He threw me over London-town
And lost his underpants

and

I kicked him over Paris
I kicked him over France
He had to go to Mothercare
To buy new underpants

These rhymes are very similar to several rhymes that are common in American culture- the “Cinderella, dressed in yellow/went upstairs to kiss her fella” jump-rope rhyme and the ever-popular “I see London, I see France” rhyme. All three share similar elements- they are games played with other people, generally of one’s own gender (although “I see London” tends to cross all boundaries when there is an underpants incident), and they all include vaguely transgressive elements- suggestions of liaisons with boys, for example- and although the children may not (probably don’t) recognize the underlying suggestion, these rhymes are indicative of a gradual coming-of-age. “Cinderella” and “My boyfriend gave me an apple” actually make use of liminal space in the air between jumps and claps. One crosses a threshold, and then crosses back over it into innocence.

Folk Game

Nationality: American
Age: 27
Occupation: Accountant
Residence: Tustin, CA
Performance Date: March 23, 2011
Primary Language: English

“Quick. Make a wish. Now point to a cheek. Ok. Your wish will come true.”

Melissa Johnson is an accountant from southern California. She explained this folk belief to me, that this is said when an eyelash falls onto one’s face. If you point to the correct side of your face, your wish is supposed to come true. She got this from a friend who said this to her. She doesn’t really believe that her wish will come true, but feels it’s fun to do anyway, like making a wish when you blow out the candles on your birthday cake or when the clock hits a certain time.

I think this is why anyone does this, and it’s an interesting display of the continuum of belief. She doesn’t believe in wishes enough to say that she believes pointing to the right cheek will make her wish come true, but she believes in it enough to go through the process of wishing on a fallen eyelash.

Song Parodies

Nationality: English
Age: 52
Occupation: Journalist
Residence: Los Angeles
Performance Date: 4/22/11
Primary Language: English

The informant is a caucasian female in her 50s. She was born and raised in England. She, and her three siblings, were raised as orthodox jews. After university, the informant moved to Northern California for graduate school. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she now resides. The informant trained in school as a biologist, but switched to journalism and now works for a large newspaper. She is divorced with one child.

Parody of National Anthem:

The informant heard this parody from her father from a very early age. She would sing it with her siblings and friends. She would sing sometimes at the beginning of films, when the national anthem was played, or in morning assembly at school. The song is sung not in a mean way, but to poke fun at the institution of the monarchy, to show laughing disrespect.

Lyrics:

God shave our gracious queen,

God shave our noble queen,

God shave our queen.

Don’t let her whiskers grow,

That wouldn’t be right you know.

God shave our gracious queen,

God shave our queen.

Analysis: This parody represents a certain attitude towards the British monarchy. The informant comes from a liberal academic middle class family. Such people are generally less inclined to be huge supporters of the monarchical institution. They would be likely to adopt an attitude of disrespect and defiance towards the crown. But the song is not spiteful or truly hurtful, projecting a more bemused, and perhaps even affectionate, attitude towards the monarchy, even while viewing it as an institution to make fun of. The parody also represents child folklore and the tendency to explore the forbidden and ridiculous. The children’s song deals with the idea of rebellion against state institution, in an extremely watered down version, by poking gentle fun at the Queen.

Christmas Carol Parodies:

The informant learned these two christmas carol parodies in grade school from her older brother, who learned it from friends. She would sing them with her siblings and friends whenever the tunes came on the radio or the carols were sung in morning assembly. The informant would sing the parodies at home to her parents, who were amused by the parodies.

We Three Kings Parody Lyrics:

We three kings of Orient are,

Tried to light a rubber cigar,

It was loaded and exploded,

Now we’re on yonder star,

Oh, oh, star of wonder, star of light,

Star that sets your pants alight,

Then proceeding through the ceiling,

Guided by thy perfect light.

Good King Wenceslas Parody Lyrics:

Good king Wenceslas looked out,

On the feast of stephen,

Snowball hit him on the snout,

And made it all uneven,

Brightly shone his conk that night,

Though the pain was cruel,

‘Til the doctor came in sight,

Riding on a mule.

Analysis: These two parodies are interesting because they are pseudo-christmas carols being performed in an Orthodox Jewish household. The face that they are parodies probably contributes to their acceptance within the informant’s family: a parody implies poking fun at the subject, so it would have been more acceptable to sing in a household that did not celebrate than traditional secular carols. Also, the English schooling system requires the teaching of religion to all students. It would be impossible for her parents to prevent the informant’s exposure to Christianity, so a greater acceptance of pieces of Christian culture picked up would not be unexpected. These parodies are also part of the trend for children to subvert and push the boundaries of their expected existence. The carol parodies are a subversion of an established tradition, in this case even connected with religion, and use it to explore the ridiculous, rebellious, and off-limits. In “We Three Kings”, the parody refers not only to smoking and pants, which in Britain refers to underwear, but also alludes to violence with “loaded and exploded”. “Good King Wenceslas” picks up similar threads in exploring the physical violence in his nose being struck, but also rebellion by mocking a esteemed figure, designated as “king”.

Folk Song Parody:

The informant learned this song parody from her parents, who were both members of the Communist party in the late 40s, early 50s. They learned this song while at Communist meetings. The song itself is a parody on the English folk song “Green grow the rushes, O”. The informant learned this original version in school choir in grade school, along with other traditional songs. This Communist parody would be sung by the informant’s family most commonly during passover, after the dinner ceremony had concluded. The Passover meal would be concluded by singing traditional songs in Hebrew as well as folk songs added to the family canon along the years. The informant still sings this song at family passovers. The structure of the song, cumulative ascending counting, is similar to a Jewish song, “who knows one”, traditionally sung in hebrew at Passover. The informant herself does not remember all of the words. Her brothers do remember all of it, however, both being of a more political bent.

Lyrics:

I’ll sing you one, O,

Red fly the banners, O,

What is your one, O,

One is worker’s unity and ever more shall be so,

I’ll sing you two, O,

Red fly the banners, O,

What is your two, O,

Two two the workers hands working for his living, O

One is worker’s unity and ever more shall be so

(The song’s structure carries on the same through each number up to 13. For each verse the relevant number is substituted into the lyrics. Each number sequence is repeated, with each verse getting longer and longer.)

Three three the rights of man (or the alternative wording – Three three bread, land, and peace)

Five for the years of the five year plan and four for the four years taken

(The song carries on up until 13, but the informant cannot recall the other number verses beyond here.)

Analysis: This song, while a parody, is more of a reinterpretation than a satire. The Communist party in Britain used a traditional folk tune, laying their own lyrics over it, to disseminate the ideas and ideals of the party. As a well known melody already, the reuse of the music would make the song easier to learn and remember. The use of ascending numbers and repetition probably also lends to the song’s ability to be easily learned. This pattern is quite common among folk music, such as the traditional Jewish song mentioned by the informant. The informant’s family’s habit of picking up songs such as this and incorporating them into the Passover ceremony is quite interesting. The family sings secular, even political, songs in a very religious setting. This indicates a fluid attitude towards the performance of religion, even within an orthodox family. It is an example of how identity can be established and reinforced through the use of folklore. In this case, the informant’s jewish identity and more liberal political bent are melded together through the performance of the song parody at Passover.